1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to semiconductor devices, and more specifically, to stress relief of semiconductor devices.
2. Related Art
During manufacturing and in the application environment, stress is induced in semiconductor devices. The stress, for example, may occur because the mold encapsulant has material properties different than that of other layers in the semiconductor device. Cracks initiate and propagate within the semiconductor device to relieve the stress. The cracks are also known as delamination or separation. The delamination may result in electrical failures or loss of functionality.
To improve the performance of semiconductor devices, low dielectric constant materials are used for interlayer dielectric (ILD) layers. However, low dielectric constant materials have a greater propensity to delaminate. Therefore, a need exists to minimize or prevent delamination, especially when a low dielectric constant material is used for ILD layers.